SDP, HNS and HSS to present joint platform next week

The leaders of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the People's Party (HNS) and the Peasants' Party (HSS) on Monday met for the first time since signing an agreement on the People's Coalition and discussed a joint election platform which should be presented to the public next week.

HSS chief Kreso Beljak and HNS leader Ivan Vrdoljak spoke to the press after the meeting and when asked if they had agreed on who would do what in the campaign for the election set for September, Vrdoljak said that the talks were not conducted in that way.

"We spoke about what will make Croatia more beautiful and better in the coming years," Vrdoljak said.

Asked whether part of the coalition's strategy was not to comment on scandals in their own ranks such as bonuses of millions of kuna to CEOs in the state's forest management authority - Hrvatske Sume - Vrdoljak answered affirmatively, claiming that this was a "quasi scandal."

"That is the only thing the HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) and Bridge are occupied with. And mutual reform - the HDZ is reforming Bridge and Bridge is reforming the HDZ," Vrdoljak said.

Beirut (dpa) - Syrian government forces and their allies advanced deeper into the shrinking rebel-held enclave in eastern Aleppo on Wednesday, seizing the Old City, while demanding the armed opposition groups leave the area.